70-year-old rescued after fall during New Year's evening hike

SILVERWOOD LAKE -- San Bernardino County Fire and Crest Forest Fire Protection District personnel with help from the sheriff's department rescued a 70-year-old man who tumbled several feet down an embankement during a hike Tuesday evening, officials said.

Officials received a 9-1-1 call from two hikers stating the man had fallen while on the Pacific Crest Trail just west of Silverwood Lake, according to a fire department news release.

Rescuers used GPS to plot the cell phone call and to locate the hikers near the Rio Baranca Valley Campground.

A sheriff's deputy had already arrived at the location and attempted to hike the trail which spans from Mexico to Canada, in an effort to locate the injured hiker, officials said.

Rescuers eventually located the man who had fallen about 60 feet into heavy brush. He was not seriously injured, according to authorities.

The lack of light and the freezing temperatures prevented the man from making it back to the trail on his own, fire officials said.

The sheriff's helicopter flight crew was able to hoist the man from where he fell, according to the release. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution though authorities said he appeared to be in good physical condition.

Fire and sheriff's officials remind anyone planning on hiking in the mountains to always be prepared by carrying enough water and supplies in the event of an emergency. They also advise people dress in layers just in case they will have to spend the night in the cold.